Cellar Door | Stillwater Artisanal Ales

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Notes / Commercial Description:
Over the ages the term ’cellar door’ has numerously been referred to as the most beautiful term in the English language. Upon setting out to create the first summer addition to the Stateside line up of ales; the feeling that almost instantly came to me was that of beauty & cleansing. Many summer offerings tend to lack the complexity of their bigger, colder season counterparts; so my goal was to craft an ale of extreme balance with a delicate complexity that allows for contemplation while also providing quaffable refreshment. Starting with a base of German wheat & pale malts this crisp slightly hazy foundation was then accented with a blend of Sterling & Citra hops providing a intricate blend of herbal grass & tangerine citrus flavors and aroma. To pull this all together and to complete the ’cleansing’ aspect of my vision I gently finished the ale off with a touch of white sage, lending a mild earthy spice character to the blend. Of course let’s not forget our house saison yeast that brought all the elements together leaving a dry yet intricate finish.

Reviews by jdense:

More User Reviews:

Bottle: Poured a hazy golden orangey color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of lightly hoppy notes with light spices and a medium sweet malt backbone is quite interesting. Taste is a complex mix between some lightly sweet rustic malt notes with some fruity ester with dry hoppy notes with light notes of spices. Body is full with limited filtration and good carbonation. Easily drinkable while providing quite a lot of complexity.

A: The beer poured hazy golden yellow in color and poured with a finger high dense white head. The head slowly died down yet a thin layer of bubbles consistently covered the surface.
S: There are strong aromas of sage in the nose along with some hints of spiciness from the hops.
T: Like the smell, there are strong flavors of sage in the overall taste, which also linger for a long time in the aftertaste. It also has some hints of pepper and other spices.
M: It feels light-bodied and quite dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
D: This beer needs to be sipped rather slowly given the strength of the sage in the taste, although it's certainly unique so I could consider having it again.

On tap at Sessions in Greensboro.Poured into a tulip glass a lightly hazed lemon tinged lighter golden with a large fluffy white crown that lasted for almost the duration,fresh citric hops burst out in the aromas along with light white pepper,I liked the fact I didn't get alot of funk.Citric hops play a huge role on the palate with underlying funk and that white pepper,a light sour tang came in the finish.Iam not a saison drinker most of the time but I have enjoyed Stillwater's takes I have had of the style.

Herbal sage and fake wax teeth aroma dominates. Nose-clearing clove with light lemongrass and tangerine. Very fresh and bright, and a quick fix for spring fever while I watch spring training baseball.

Crisp and dry as can be, with fresh grass, sage, lemon and orange rind. Malt provides just enough foundation for the hop and herb flavoring. The brewer has accomplished all that he has outlined on the label as far as a cleansing beer.

Mouthfeel is immaculate for a saison/farmhouse ale. Dry and crisp, works wonderfully with the herbs and hop varieties. Just the slightest bit of sweetness to provide foundation for the herbs.

Definitely pick this up. I love the mindset of this brewery and will be looking for more in the future!

S- Upfront is a hint of sage and hibiscus in the nose, followed by musky yeast and light alcohol esters. Very inviting to the senses.

T-M- Bold sage and yeast crackle of the the buds on first sip leaving a melody of peppery malts with balanced spice on the tongue. Alcoholic sweet grainy flavors are noted in the backbone. Mouthfeel is smooth with moderate carbonation.

Bottle into Chimay Chalice. Non-aggressive pour produces a lot of foam, a lot of bubbles. Very effervescent. Like champagne only better - it's beer, after all.
Clear yellow appearance. Head dissipates moderately leaving behind little to no lace.
Smooth. Refreshing. Sweet.
Climbing the learning curve for the style and given how enjoyable this one was, I can't wait to try others.

T- More herbal and less light on the earthy hay characters than the smell. The start is grainy bread with the middle and end being a mix of candy and smooth mild bitterness. As it warms some cherry pie funk creeps into the picture along with a stronger sense of the lemon peel and hay. Very summery.

M- Lots of bubbly carbonation and a slightly creamy but very dry body.

D- This was quite an enjoyable beer. As it warmed it seemed to express more and more flavors and it looks beautiful from start to finish.